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Human

Human tells the story of how humanity went from being just one of many hominin species to the dominant form of life on earth.

Around 250,000 years ago, Homo sapiens appeared in Africa – one of at least seven hominin species alive at the time. Today, we are the most dominant animal on Earth, and the only remaining human species left on the planet.

It's an extraordinary story. But for 98% of it, we have no written record of what happened.

Now, following breakthroughs in DNA technology and remarkable new fossil evidence, we are able to tell this story in startling detail.

Presented by paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi, this series uses a combination of archaeology, travelogue and reconstruction to tell the story of how we became ‘us': modern humans. Ella will follow in the footsteps of our ancient ancestors – visiting internationally important archaeological sites to meet experts who can help her unlock the secrets of our deep historical past.

Show Info

Web channel: United Kingdom BBC iPlayer (2025 - 2025)
Average Runtime: 58 minutes
Status: Ended
Show Type: Documentary
Genres: History
Episodes ordered: 5 episodes

Official site: www.bbc.co.uk

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Previous Episode

A Great Gamble

Episode 1x05; Jul 14, 2025

Around 12,000 years ago, as the Ice Age finally thaws, humanity makes a dramatic shift - abandoning nomadic life for permanent settlements.In Turkey, Ella Al-Shamahi visits the world's oldest temple, Gobekli Tepe, and one of the largest early towns,

Previous Episodes

Episode NameAirdateTrailer
1x05: A Great GambleJul 14, 2025
1x04: Discovering the AmericasJul 14, 2025
1x03: Last Humans StandingJul 14, 2025
View full episode list »

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